Nearly 300 girls were hospitalised after they complained of irritation in eyes due to gas leakage from a container depot near their school in southeast Delhi's Tughlakabad area. © PTI
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Over 300 girl students were hospitalised after toxic fumes spread due to a chemical leakage at a container depot near two schools in south-east Delhi's Tughlakabad area.
The students of Rani Jhansi School and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, run by the city administration, were rushed to nearby hospitals as they complained of irritation in eyes and breathlessness.
The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
Union minister J P Nadda has instructed all centre-run hospitals to be ready to help the victims. A team of doctors from AIIMS has been put on standby to cater to any emergency.
A senior doctor at Batra hospital, where 55 children in the age group of 10-14 years were admitted, said their condition was stable
According to the police, a call was received about some chemical leakage at customs area of Tughlakabad depot, which is located near the schools. The chemical in the container was imported from China and was to be taken to Sonepat in Haryana, it said.
Following the incident, teams of police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), as well as CATS ambulance, reached the spot. "Some chemical leakage at customs area of Tughlakabad depot has caused eye irritation to the girl students in Rani Jhansi school," DCP (Southeast) Romil Baaniya said.
According to police, 310 students have received treatment in hospitals. As many as 107 students were admitted in Majithia Hospital and 62 in Batra Hospital. Some children had mild breathing difficulty, eye irritation and mild headache, the doctor at Batra Hospital said. Two children who had come with complaints of breathing difficulty were admitted in the paediatric ICU.
"The condition of all the children, including those admitted in the ICU, is stable. They are currently under observation and they are likely to be discharged in three to four hours," said the doctor
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said he has ordered the area district magistrate and SDM to launch a probe into the incident. "There was an exam in the school which we have cancelled following the incident," he said
Sisodia, who also holds education portfolio, said that he spoke to doctors who told him that all the students were doing fine and were under observation.
Apollo hospital authorities said that the condition of 42 children and an adult admitted there was stable. "Therapeutic interventions as per clinical requirements were administered to them. Currently, all patients are in a stable condition," the hospital said in a statement.
© PTI News